Three months after cannabis was legalized for adults, non-commercial “cultivation associations” can now start up. The health minister says what he hopes to achieve with this.
At the start of the cannabis cultivation associations, Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach defended the innovation. “With the cultivation associations, we will make the dealers unemployed in the long term, we will prevent contamination and high concentrations of cannabis and thus protect cannabis consumers,” the SPD politician told “Bild am Sonntag”.
Three months after cannabis was legalized for adults in Germany, a second stage comes into force on Monday. Non-commercial “cultivation associations” with up to 500 members can now get started. Adults can grow cannabis together and share it with each other for personal consumption. There are many conditions and requirements for this. First of all, the associations can now apply for a cultivation permit from the authorities responsible for this in the respective federal states.
Consumption, legalization and warnings
Lauterbach stressed that consumption would remain prohibited for young people, and that selling to minors would be punished more severely than before. In the USA, it has been shown that consumption among young people does not increase after legalization. “Flanked by appropriate educational measures, we will succeed in reducing cannabis consumption.” Lauterbach warned: “But legalization must not obscure the fact that the drug is harmful.”
The deputy federal chairman of the police union (GdP), Alexander Poitz, warned that the regulations on the establishment and operation of the cultivation associations contain “risks and gateways for organized crime.” “This could infiltrate and exploit the structures of the cultivation associations,” he told “Bild am Sonntag.” He also pointed out that the cultivation associations would not be able to meet the high demand immediately. “The dealer black market has already continued to expand since April 2024.”
The CSU parliamentary group leader in the Bavarian state parliament, Klaus Holetschek, demanded in the newspaper: “The cultivation associations must be monitored as strictly as possible and must not become a gateway for criminals who want to gain access to the black market.”
Basically, smoking weed has been legal for adults since April 1st, with many restrictions. Since then, cannabis cultivation has been permitted in private homes. There, you can have three plants at a time and store up to 50 grams of cannabis.
Source: Stern
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